


Gluggaveður

by OtterlyDeerlightful



Category: LazyTown
Genre: M/M, Pre-Relationship, awkward boys, such awkward boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-14
Updated: 2017-11-14
Packaged: 2019-02-02 15:17:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12729093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OtterlyDeerlightful/pseuds/OtterlyDeerlightful
Summary: Robbie Rotten made a deal with Sportacus: he would play with the dumb elf and the kids so long as Sportacus would be lazy in return. What could his motivation be...?





	Gluggaveður

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sportscandycollective](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sportscandycollective/gifts).



> Written for my awesome friend Sportscandycollective because life has been a butt! *HUG*

 “If I— _yegch!_ —exercise with you the rest of the day, then _you_ have to be lazy for an entire afternoon. Deal?”

Robbie’s proposition had not been what Sportacus was expecting that day. When the tall, lanky man had proposed a sort of _test_ , as the villain had put it, the hero had assumed that the terms of such a wager would be that, if Sportacus lost, he would have to leave town forever. As per usual. But simply a challenge to be lazy—and not even for an entire day—had been a surprise.

Sportacus had accepted immediately and Robbie spent the rest of the afternoon trying to keep up with him and the children playing kickball and volleyball. During their snack break, Robbie had even forced himself to eat a few orange slices without gagging _too_ badly. The villain had only agreed to exercise with them, but Sportacus hadn’t seen the point in reminding him of that if Robbie had gotten himself caught up in the healthy festivities. It had been a wonderful afternoon.

“Thank you for playing with us today, Robbie,” Sportacus recalled saying after the children had all dispersed to their homes. “Did you have fun?”

Robbie’s lip curled. “I had…something,” he had grumbled back. “It wasn’t _fun_ but…yeah, that sure was…something that happened.”

Sportacus remembered laughing. “Well, _I_ am glad you joined us today. I had a lot of fun playing with you, Robbie! And I know the kids enjoyed it, too.”

The villain had sputtered at hearing that, though he had quickly recovered with a rigid spine and a deep-set frown. “Well, I—you! You would— _gah!_ ” he had spat before turning and stalking away after a dramatic spin and a loud grunt.

“Robbie, wait!” Sportacus had called, hurrying after the man. “What are we going to do tomorrow?”

Sportacus had to laugh when he remembered the absolutely puzzled expression on Robbie’s face.

“Tomorrow?”

“Yes, tomorrow. You were nice enough to play with us _today_. What will we be doing tomorrow to be lazy?”

Robbie had grinned at hearing that. A mischievous, knowing grin that Sportacus still wasn’t sure if he entirely trusted. He was no longer sure if he had made a good choice by accepting Robbie’s _test_.

“Oh, you can go bouncing and flip-flopping around tomorrow like always,” Robbie had said with a confident air about him. “But you’ll _owe_ me.” He had stabbed a finger into the air at that point. “One lazy afternoon! And I can call to collect on it whenever I want!”

Sportacus had been simultaneously surprised and impressed. Robbie _hadn’t_ specified which afternoon the hero was supposed to be lazy; Sportacus had just assumed. It had been a very clever move, and he had told the villain so. The compliment, of course, had managed to deflate the villain’s flaunted superiority almost instantly, and Robbie had been reduced to an annoyed groan and a theatrical heel-turn that lead into his usual stomping away.

Ever since, the hero had been curious about when Robbie would call to collect on Sportacus’ debt. But…it never came. Everything since then had been normal. Sportacus and the kids would play, Robbie would occasionally appear wearing a disguise and try to put a stop to it, and everyone eventually forgot a deal had ever been made in the first place.

That was, until today.

It wasn’t the type of day that Sportacus had expected Robbie to take advantage of. The kids weren’t even playing outside. In fact, all of LazyTown had decided to spend their day indoors. It _was_ raining, after all. It had been coming down since early that morning and, though it was far from storming, it wasn’t exactly conducive to outdoor play. So, while the kids stayed at home playing video games and working on crafts, Sportacus was home in his airship.

He had just finished a round of stretches and was contemplating playing a one man game of racquetball when the mail tube arrived.

“I’ve got mail?” he questioned curiously, wondering who might be braving the dreary weather to send him a letter. Sportacus opened the beautiful lavender paper and read the message aloud. “Dear Sportaflop—” He rolled his eyes. “—I have come to collect. Land your shiny death trap in the field behind the billboard. Don’t keep me waiting.” The letter was signed with a beautifully scribed _RR_. “P.S. Leave the door open.”

The hero looked out at the weather again. Still steadily raining. He then glanced back down at the letter in his hands. Sportacus shrugged and tucked it away.

“Well,” he said to himself with a shrug. “If today is the day Robbie wants to me to lazy, I guess I will have to be lazy!”

He excitedly vaulted himself head-over-heels into the cockpit and began to pedal as quickly as possible toward the outskirts of town. While he may not be a fan of lazing about, he had to admit that he was excited to see what Robbie might have in store for him. It had to be something special—different, at the very least—if the villain had been saving his plans for a specific day.

Sportacus eased the airship to the ground, surveying the landscape in search of Robbie. There was no sign of him. Curious, the hero called for his door to open and hopped over to take a better peek outside. The rain limited his visibility somewhat, but he _could_ see the hatch to Robbie’s lair open up before a large purple striped umbrella popped out. It took a moment for him to realize that Robbie was hauling up more than just himself, and the hero called for an umbrella of his own to go join the villain.

“Is there anything I can take?” Sportacus asked, eager to help as he saw how Robbie was struggling with the giant duffle bag he had brought with him.

“ _Everything_ would be helpful,” Robbie grunted as he did his best to shove the giant thing at the hero.

Sportacus pulled it up and balanced the surprisingly light bag on his shoulder, the ends drooping as he kept his umbrella steady. Robbie let out a sigh of relief and waved for his counterpart to head back to his ship. Before Sportacus could say a word, Robbie had recapped the opening with his umbrella and disappeared again. Well then…perhaps this afternoon _would_ be as interesting as Sportacus had hoped. He hurried back to his airship with his precious cargo and set the bag down carefully near the door before waiting for Robbie to reemerge. In the meantime, he decided it might be a good idea to put down a mat so the floor to his ship didn’t turn into a _real_ death trap for his guest.

It took a few minutes for the villain to reappear, but when he did, the man seemed to have everything that he needed. He closed his hatch, a bulging satchel at his side, and hurried to the airship. Sportacus ushered him inside and had the door close.

“ _Burrwah!_ ” Robbie shivered as he closed his umbrella and set it down against the door. “Took you long enough to get down here,” he scolded as he stamped his feet on the mat.

Sportacus laughed. “I came as soon as I got your letter.”

“Excuses,” the villain grumbled as he tossed his umbrella to sit by the little blue one nearby. “Right. _Anyway_ , down to business!”

“Business?” Sportacus asked, then tapped his forehead with a cheerful laugh when he realized to what Robbie was referring. “Oh, yes! Being lazy! Heh. So, what do you want me to do, Robbie?”

“I want you to look out the window.”

Sportacus glanced up. His eyes drifted over the misty landscape outside, but saw nothing of consequence. He turned back to Robbie with a questioning expression, uncertain what he was supposed to be looking for.

Robbie, meanwhile, was busy. He pulled one blanket out of the large duffel bag, then a second, and a third. Everything that came from the bag were various shades of purple, scarlet, and the occasional cream. Robbie sure did own a lot of bedding. Sportacus watched quietly, not wanting to interrupt whatever was happening. Robbie started pulling out some pillows. Did he want Sportacus to take a nap? This all seemed like it might be overkill.

“I had this planned for weeks!” Robbie said proudly. “Just had to wait for some good old fashioned bad weather!”

Well, that explained why Sportacus had been waiting for long for today, at least. He hopped back and forth, one foot to the other, as he watched Robbie meticulously setting the scene for Sportacus’ lazy afternoon. He wasn’t entirely sure what to make of what he was seeing. Was Robbie making _a nest_ of some kind? The villain pulled the blankets close to the front of the ship, right up near the window. He pooled the extra blankets on top, added the pillows, and carefully set his satchel nearby.

“What is all this?” Sportacus finally asked.

“ _This_ ,” Robbie said as he put his hands on his slim hips and looked over his work, “Is where you’re going to spend the rest of the afternoon. Now get your goofy boots off and sit down.”

That didn’t really answer Sportacus’ question, but the man just shrugged and obediently hopped out of his boots before heading over to the mess of blankets. He sat down cross-legged in the middle and looked up at Robbie questioningly, wondering what was to come next.

The villain just groaned and dangled his arms before him in disbelief.

“Are you serious?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do I _really_ have to teach you how to _sit_?”

Sportacus looked down at himself. “But…I _am_ sitting.”

“No, no, no, no, _no_!” Robbie cried as he waved his arms in front of his face in total disgust. “ _No, Sportaloon_. Like this!”

The man flopped down by his side. His long legs stretched out before him and he let out a loud sigh of contentment before cracking his neck. Sportacus flinched. Robbie started to gather pillows behind him and leaned back. After a moment of wiggling and getting comfortable, he pulled another blanket on top of him and pulled it up to his large chin.

“Your turn,” Robbie said softly.

Sportacus smiled, happy to see Robbie looking so serene in his soft comforter sandwich. He copied the lazier man’s motions as best as possible, taking up the remaining pillows and blankets for his own. After getting himself situated, Sportacus had to admit…this felt rather nice. If he wasn’t so energized and awake he was certain that he could fall asleep right here.

“Like this?” the hero asked as he, too, covered every inch of himself from the neck down with fluffiness.

Robbie’s eyes traveled up and down the hero’s relaxation configuration and nodded. “Not bad for a first try,” he complimented dryly.

Sportacus smiled. It was silly, but a part of him was excited to receive Robbie’s praise, even for something as simple as covering himself with a sea of bedding. Robbie nodded toward the airship’s expansive window before turning his full attention to it. Sportacus did the same, still not entirely sure what Robbie was up to, but happy to attempt whatever the villain had in store.

“And now,” Robbie said with a content sigh, “We watch.”

Sportacus’ eyes danced around the scenery before them. “What are we watching?”

He could _hear_ Robbie frown at his question. “The _rain_ ,” came the man’s surprisingly quiet response. “We’re watching the rain, Sportadense. We couldn’t very well watch the rain in my lair, so…we have to do it here.”

“Oh,” was all that the hero said in response as he looked out at the misty scenery with new eyes.

If this was what Robbie wanted him to do to be lazy for the rest of the afternoon, Sportacus couldn’t really complain, even if he _was_ itching to move about already. He _had_ agreed to their deal, after all. Usually Sportacus disliked rainy days. They meant spending time indoors, less vising with friends, fewer options for play…but now that he had to sit down and look, actually _look_ at the rain instead of simply acknowledging it, Sportacus had to admit…it was pretty, in a way.

The sky was grey, but not entirely uninviting. While he loved to play outside, even Sportacus had to admit that a relentless sun could be draining at best and dangerous at worst. A grey sky seemed a lot less threatening; it was almost like the clouds were trying to give the world a hug. Heh. Maybe the sky was so happy about hugging the earth that it was crying. Sportacus liked that idea.

If he listened close enough, the raindrops on his window sounded a bit like music. Sportacus soon found himself humming, creating a little tune to go along the _plink_ s and _ping_ s of the water hitting the airship. He swayed gently from side to side in time. Soon, he was tapping his fingers on his knees in minimal accompaniment. Maybe rainy—certifiably lazy—days could be fun after all!

“Stop that,” came a gruff voice to his left.

Sportacus turned to see Robbie glaring at him. The hero blinked.

“Stop what?”

“All that… _dancing_ ,” the villain grumbled. “You’re supposed to be being lazy—like you promised, I might add—and you’re over there bouncing and bobbing around like you’re at some sort of concert! Just…sit still for once in your flip-floppy life.”

“Oh!” Sportacus cried in realization. “Sorry, Robbie. I, uh…I guess I got a little carried away.”

“Clearly.”

“The rain just sounded… _fun_ , that’s all. It was like music!”

Sportacus spied a smile tugging at Robbie’s lips, though it was quickly covered by deep scowl. “W-well it’s _not_. Now, you promised to be lazy, so…so _be lazy_! No tapping or dancing o-or humming.”

Sportacus sighed, wishing the villain would try to enjoy his afternoon of victory, at least. “Okay, Robbie.”

They both sat quietly again, watching the outskirts of town soak up the sky’s offerings for the day.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sportacus could see something moving. He turned to look at Robbie only to catch the tail-end of the man snapping back to attention and staring out the airship window with wide eyes. He looked surprisingly stiff for being wrapped in such a cozy nest. And was Robbie _closer_ than he had been, or was his mind playing tricks on him? Sportacus looked outside again, his mustache twitching thoughtfully as the rain pittered and pattered and slid down the window before them. He stayed aware of his peripheral vision, trying to catch a peek at what Robbie might be doing. Sportacus watched as the villain slowly turned his head ever so slightly. He could see the sneaky man’s eyes dart from him to the rain, and back again.

Why was Robbie watching him? Sportacus was sure that if he was doing something wrong, Robbie would let him know immediately, probably with a loud huff of annoyance and a dramatic display to go along with it. Sportacus smiled at the thought. He liked seeing Robbie’s theatrics. The man was talented. The hero felt his face warm when he caught himself thinking that he would much prefer to watch Robbie than the rain right now, as beautiful as the scenery was.

“You okay over there?”

Sportacus jumped. “Oh, um…yes. Why?” he asked, looking over at Robbie’s concerned face.

“Too many blankets?” he asked. “Your face…um…”

Oh no. Sportacus forced himself to smile. “Oh, no, I’m alright. Staying lazy is just harder than I thought!” he laughed.

Robbie smirked, his concern over Sportacus’ red face seemingly forgotten. “Yes, well, it takes serious dedication and an abundance of natural talent to be this lazy,” he said as he proudly gestured to himself.

Sportacus chuckled.

“Erm…uh,” Robbie stuttered suddenly. “D-do you want a drink?” he asked, pulling his arms out from the safety of his comforter and finally reaching for the satchel still unopened by his side.

“You brought drinks?” Sportacus asked curiously.

He leaned forward to see what Robbie might have brought with him. Robbie had offered him a drink. Sportacus couldn’t have the man’s favored sodas or other sugar concoctions, so…what was in the bag? Robbie pulled out what looked like some sort of coffee maker. There was no wire or plug to speak of, but the villain didn’t seem to notice their absence. He set it down and reached back into the bag to pull out some colorful packets of…something.

“Drat,” he heard Robbie hiss under his breath. “Hey, uh…do you have any of that nasty water?” he asked over his shoulder. “Or milk, maybe?”

Sportacus smiled. “Water!” he called, his arm zooming out from under the blankets to catch the bottle that flew into his outstretched hand. “Milk!” he called for an encore.

“Showoff,” Robbie grumbled as he snatched the bottles away and emptied each into the small contraption. While the little machine hissed away, Robbie turned to Sportacus and held out a small selection of packets. “P-pick one.”

“They’re tea!” Sportacus observed as he looked upon the square shapes before him.

“Brilliant deduction, Sportalock. Which one do you want?”

“I didn’t know you liked tea, Robbie.”

“I don’t. Now _pick one_ ,” the man insisted with a frown.

The hero stared at the tiny packets in awe. Robbie had brought them _just for him_. He wanted to thank the villain for thinking of him, for going out and purchasing not just one, but an entire selection of teas for Sportacus when he didn’t have to. Sportacus bit his lip as his heart continued to admire such a sweet gesture from a man he had been convinced hated him.

“ _Today_ , Sportaloon!”

“Oh! Um…this one,” he said, pointing at a packet of chamomile.

“ _Finally,_ ” Robbie sighed as he turned back around.

Sportacus looked on as his villain went back to digging in his satchel. This time he pulled out two large, purple mugs. He filled each with steaming water from his contraption and proceeded to drop Sportacus’ tea bag into one and what looked like cocoa powder into the other.

“Here,” Robbie mumbled as he passed Sportacus his tea a moment later.

“Thank you, Robbie. This is…lovely,” the hero muttered softly as he took the warm mug with both hands.

Robbie stirred his cocoa and settled back down in his blankets. He sat back and sipped at his hot drink as much as he dared. The villain glanced over at Sportacus, who had a bright smile on his face as he gently blew on his tea.

The hero could see Robbie staring quietly at his drink, his brow pinched with worry. This entire afternoon was…strange. Nice, but strange. Sportacus took a small sip of his delicious tea and looked up at the beautiful rainy sky. For a literal lazy afternoon, Sportacus hadn’t thought that he would be enjoying himself this much. He had company, Robbie had made him tea, and the wonderful nest of assorted blankets was just so…cozy. He hummed softly in contentment, snuggling more deeply into the comforter that covered him. Everything felt oddly perfect. Except for one thing.

Robbie kept looking over at him. He _knew_ Robbie kept looking at him. Sportacus wanted to know why; it was starting to make him feel a little nervous. Sportacus just couldn’t figure it out. He was being as lazy as he could possibly be, despite the itchiness in his legs to move. That had been Robbie’s goal in all of this, so…what was the problem? _Was_ there a problem? Robbie looked so unhappy and Sportacus just couldn’t figure out why. He had to ask.

“Are you alright, Robbie?” the hero asked as he turned to study the villain’s solemn face. “I-I’m being lazy, just like you wanted. I thought you would have been happy, but you seem a little upset.”

Robbie stared at Sportacus’ half-emptied mug, a clear attempt at avoiding eye contact with the man. Sportacus resisted the urge to ask his question again. Robbie looked so troubled, yet he knew that pushing the matter may make the man close down entirely. Sportacus liked to think that Robbie trusted him by now, given how long the pair had known each other, but the villain always seemed to keep _everyone_ at bay to the point where Sportacus couldn’t truly be sure.

“I think we can call today a definite win for villainy,” Sportacus offered in the hopes of seeing Robbie smile. “It has been nice sitting here with you, even without any games or exercises.” Still no change in Robbie’s faraway expression. He took a breath and decided to try again. “I don’t think I could do this _every_ day, but…this has been very nice. The tea was an unexpected treat, too. Thank you.” Silence. “Robbie?”

“I didn’t expect to get this far,” Robbie said quietly.

Sportacus frowned. “Me being lazy?” he asked curiously.

“No…well, yes, but…” The villain sighed. “Not exactly.”

“Then what is it?” Sportacus asked worriedly. He set his tea aside and turned his full attention to his friend. “Is something wrong?”

“Yeah,” Robbie mumbled darkly. “I’m a coward.”

Sportacus didn’t follow. “What do you mean?”

“I _mean_ ,” Robbie sighed with a hint of frustration in his voice, “I didn’t think I’d get you to…to just _sit_ there for this long! I thought you’d be bouncing off the walls of your stupid ship, like, thirty minutes ago!”

Sportacus blinked. Robbie was upset…because he was won? He didn’t understand.

“I told myself,” Robbie continued, staring angrily at the blankets he was bundling up in his lap, “That this wouldn’t work. I told myself you’d never accept. And then you did. Then I told myself you wouldn’t last more than five minutes. _And then you did!_ ”

Sportacus just sat there quietly and worried, unsure what to do.

“You weren’t _supposed_ to sit still this long, much less _say you enjoyed it_! What is _wrong_ with you?” Robbie demanded loudly. “Must you ruin _everything_?”

“Y-you wanted me to be lazy,” Sportacus said slowly, unsure what he could say to placate the poor man. “That was our deal. I’m sorry if I’m not very good at it, Robbie. I…I _am_ trying. I’m sorry about the humming and tapping earlier. I really am…”

The villain’s shoulders fell in time with his abrupt sigh.

“I didn’t mean to yell,” Robbie mumbled in a low voice. “I just…I told myself things wouldn’t get this far. You can’t jump to Phase Three without hitting Phase Two, and if Phase Two didn’t work out, I wouldn’t have to…” He let out a ragged breath.

“Phase…Two?” the hero questioned.

Robbie sighed. He took his hands out from under the blanket to jab at the blankets to emphasize his speaking points. “Phase One,” he said, hitting the blanket with his index finger. “Initiate test. Survive an afternoon is horrible, _horrible_ physical activity!”

Sportacus did his best to keep his smile small.

“Phase Two!” He pounded his right fist into his left palm. “Wait for the perfect rainy afternoon. Get you to land your stupid flippy skyship. Force you to sit and be _still_ for once in your life.”

Sportacus nodded. He understood that part, at least. So far, things made sense.

“Phase Three…” Robbie had jabbed at the blanket again, then froze.

The man swallowed, suddenly looking petrified again. Sportacus leaned forward with worry. What about this ‘Phase Three’ could continually cause Robbie to lock up like this? Something had gone wrong, Sportacus was sure of it.

“Is Phase Three where you run me out of town forever?” Sportacus asked with a smile, nudging Robbie’s arm playfully. “I mean, what hero would willing be so lazy, right?” he continued in the hope of lightening the mood somehow.

Instead, Robbie just swallowed and shied away from his touch. That wasn’t a good sign.

“No,” the villain mumbled. “It probably would have been a couple years ago, though,” he admitted, voice so quiet that the soft patter of the rain outside almost drowned him out.

Sportacus’ smile fell. “Then…what’s wrong, Robbie? What was Phase Three?”

Robbie threw off his blankets and moved to get up, mumbled something that Sportacus thought might have been ‘gotta go,’ but the hero quickly reached out and grabbed his villain’s arm to stop him. Robbie tugged but Sportacus held firm.

“Robbie, please,” he begged quietly. “Talk to me.”

The man didn’t look at him.

“What was Phase Three?”

With a huff, Robbie sat back down and yanked his arm out of Sportacus’ grip. The man drew his knees to his chest and the hero noticed that Robbie still had his shoes on. He really _hadn’t_ expected the afternoon to progress this far, had he? Robbie had totally planned on leaving prematurely if Sportacus hadn’t been able to sit still long enough, long before the mysterious ‘Phase Three’ would happen. Sportacus was truly worried now.

“Robbie?”

“If you didn’t stay put I wouldn’t have to ask you, and I wouldn’t have to make a fool of myself, and I could stay in my stupid head for the rest of my life!” he suddenly ranted. “But _no_. No, you had to go and be _lazy_ like I _asked_ you to and…and…”

The man ran a hand through his perfect hair, ruining his carefully styled masterpiece. Sportacus swallowed, suddenly feeling nervous himself. He pulled himself up, crossing his legs as he gave his friend his full attention. He may not know how to make things better, but he could at least _be here_ for him while Robbie worked through things.

“And what, Robbie?” Sportacus asked slowly. “What were you going to ask me?”

A heavy silence fell over the pair, the only sound in the airship being the quiet echoes of the constant rain outside. Sportacus swallowed nervously as he watched Robbie’s unmoving form and hoped that he hadn’t upset the villain further.

After what felt like ages, Robbie finally wet his lips and spoke.

“If you didn’t pass the stupid test,” he muttered so shakily it sounded more like a whimper, “Th-then I wouldn’t have t-to…h-hear you reject me.”

Sportacus frowned. “Reject you?” he asked in confusion. “I don’t understand, Robbie. I still don’t know what you were going to ask—” Wait.

“Well we would never work out if you weren’t capable of being a little lazy at least _once_ in a while, now would we?” Robbie cried, throwing his arms in the air. “If you never made it past Phase Two, then I’d never have to _actually_ ask you out in Phase Three, and I wouldn’t have to hear you reject me and tell me off and say you never wanted to speak to me again. But _nooo_ , you just _had_ to go through Phase Two with flying colors and leave me sitting here like an idiot trying to figure out how to….oh pixie sticks.”

Robbie looked over at Sportacus in absolute horror as his own words finally made their way back to his brain. Sportacus was slack-jawed, his eyes wide in surprise. Oh.

_Oh._

“You set up an entire scheme to ask me out on a date?” Sportacus asked with a small smile.

Robbie’s nose twitched as he wrung his hands. “I…well, when you put it like _that_ it sounds incredibly stupid!” he whined. “I just...look, this entire thing has just been a huge waste of time!” he cried as he abruptly stood up and started picking up his pillows. “I’ll just…go down my lair for the rest of my life and you’ll never see me again, and we can forget this whole mess ever happened!”

“B-but I’d like…to…” Sportacus said sadly as he watched the tall, thin man beat away a blanket that had been trying to wrap itself around his leg.

Robbie paused what he was doing and looked up in disbelief. The two men stared at one another for a moment before Robbie cleared his throat and attempted to give a stuttering response.

“Y-you….w-wait, no. I…d-did you just—? That is… _what_?”

Sportacus’s face lit up at the sight of the shock on Robbie’s face. The hero nodded.

“I like you, Robbie. And I really liked being able to spend the afternoon with you.”

Robbie’s jaw flapped for a second, but no sound could find its way out just yet.

Sportacus swallowed and nodded down at the blankets still left on the airship floor. He patted the empty spot next to him.

“Please sit with me, Robbie.” He gave a small chuckle. “You can even take your shoes off this time.”

Robbie almost looked like he was in a trance as he stiffly forced himself to sit down once again. The pillows and blankets he had gathered sat on his lap in a heap as he stared through them. Sportacus cautiously reached out to find Robbie’s hand amongst the soft fabrics. He squeezed it gently, causing the man to finally look at him.

“I didn’t think you liked me,” Sportacus said softly.

“How could I not?” Robbie whispered. His eyes widened a second later. “I mean, uh…drat, that—that was supposed to stay in my head…”

Sportacus laughed and squeezed his villain’s hand again. “It’s alright.”

He looked back at the airship window. The rain was still falling, still pitter-pitter-pattering. He felt Robbie gently squeeze his hand and Sportacus couldn’t help but smile. He squeezed back.

“C-can I ask?” Robbie mumbled after a moment.

“Ask what?”

“Y-you know.” He sighed. “It’s just…I’ve been working myself up over this for over a month now and…”

Sportacus pulled his hand away and turned his entire body so that he would be facing the beautiful tall man. He sat up straight and smiled warmly. “Was there something you wanted to ask me, Robbie?” the hero asked innocently.

Robbie snorted in amusement and Sportacus was elated to see the little smile the man was trying so hard to hide. He fiddled with the corner of a pillow as he did his best to look at Sportacus, but he couldn’t quite manage to look the hero in the eye. Sportacus pretended not to notice.

“Sportaflop…I mean, uh, _Sportacus_ , I’ve been wondering if maybe.” He took a deep breath. “I was wondering if you might be interested in _perhaps_ consider going on a date…with me. Sometime. I guess.”

Robbie glanced up to see a pair of bright blue eyes and shining white teeth.

“I would like that very much, Robbie,” the hero replied.

The villain’s hunched shoulders practically melted as Robbie finally allowed himself to properly relax.

“Y-you’re not just playing some big trick on me, right?” he asked with a nervous laugh.

Sportacus hummed, tilting his head as he inspected the man before him. “Well I wasn’t,” he said, “But I’m not sure if I can _really_ date a man who doesn’t even know how to be properly lazy.”

Robbie frowned. His eyes blinked rapidly and he tilted his head in confusion.

“Here, let me show you how,” Sportacus teased. He pulled back his blanket to give a full demonstration. “First,” he said, spinning around and landing with his legs outstretched before him. “You sit like this. And then!” He pulled the comforters back over him and nestled down against his pillows. “You get nice and comfortable. Now _you_ try!”

Robbie snickered as he shoved some blankets aside to—finally—remove his shoes and spats. He reconstructed his relaxation nest and settled down. Sportacus waited until the man looked settled before inching closer so that their shoulders were touching. Robbie’s cheeks suddenly looked a little red. The hero looked out at the lovely rain and its dark yet beautiful clouds.

“I didn’t think I’d make it this far,” Robbie mumbled.

“I like Phase Three,” Sportacus sighed as he leaned into the taller man.

“I—I do, too.”

Sportacus felt a long arm snake around his shoulders. Something small caught his eye and he looked up in time to see a second tear fall from the villain’s cheek.

“You’re raining, Robbie,” he said quietly.

The man’s body jostled Sportacus with its abrupt laughter.

“Y-yeah, I guess I am. S-seems like a good day for it. I’ve…wanted to do this for a long time,” Robbie admitted.

Sportacus slowly wrapped his strong arms around his companion’s torso and laid his cheek on Robbie’s shoulder. He tried not to shake _too_ badly from the excitement of being able to do so. He nodded. “This is nice,” he agreed. “I’ve never really watched the rain before. But I like it. We should do this again next time it rains.”

Robbie hugged the hero close to his side. “T-That can be arranged.”


End file.
